Toothpick dispensing device



Oct. 9, 1956 N. SURDENIK TOOTHPICK DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1952 United States Patent 2,765,953 TOOTHPICK DISPENSING DEVICE Nicholas Surdenik, Perrinton, Mich. Application September 19, 1952, Serial No. 310,379 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-257) This invention relates to sanitary toothpick dispensers, and more particularly to a dispenser for delivering a single tooth pick from a sanitary storage chamber or hopper each time the device is operated.

In restaurants, hotels and the like, it is customary to provide a quantity of toothpicks in an open dish or other receptacle for the convenience of patrons. These toothpicks are exposed to dust, flies, and the hands of customers selecting toothpicks, and it is obvious that they cannot be kept clean, sanitary, and free from germs.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a toothpick dispenser which maintains the toothpicks in germ-free, sanitary condition, delivering only one toothpick at a time from a closed chamber as the dispenser is operated.

A further object of the invention is to design a toothpick dispenser which effects a considerable saving in toothpicks in that it dispenses but one toothpick at a time, thus preventing the customer from simply removing a handful of toothpicks at one time and storing them in his pocket for future use.

A further object of the invention is to design a sanitary toothpick dispenser which is neat and pleasing in appearance, which is positive and highly reliable in operation, and will not jam.

Another object of the invention is to design a toothpick dispenser which is of simple and practical construction, and which can be economically manufactured and assembled.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a vertical, sectional, side elevational view through the dispenser, the broken lines showing the dispensing member on its inward stroke.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the letter D generally indicates my improved toothpick dispenser which is preferably fabricated of a clear transparent plastic or other suitable material so that the toothpicks can be seen, and is mounted on rubber suction cups 11) so that it may be non-slidably mounted on a counter top or other smooth surface.

The generally prismatic dispenser D includes an outer casing which comprises side, rear and front walls 11, 12, and 13 respectively, the front wall being inwardly stepped as shown to form an upper front wall 14 which is received in grooves X formed in the shouldered side walls 11 of the casing. A downwardly sloped partitioning wall 15 depends from the rear wall 12 adjacent the top ice thereof, and its free edge 16 curves forwardly to form, with the side walls 11 and upper front wall 14, a toothpick storage hopper or chamber C. It will be seen that the free edge of the wall 16 terminates at a point below the lower edge of the front wall 14, and is spaced from said wall a sufiicient distance to form a discharge opening or passage P in the bottom of the chamber or hopper and that an inverted, substantially L-shaped dispensing plate or member 17 forms a closure for said passage, the forwardly extending leg or tray 18 of the dispensing plate 17 being curved to closely fit and form a closure for the opening or passage P to prevent toothpicks from slipping out of the chamber C.

The lower corners of the plate 16 are turned in wardly to form ears 19, and a transversely disposed pin 20 passes through openings in said ears and is rotatably received in bearing openings 21 provided in the side walls 11-11. The plate 17 is rigidly mounted on the pin 20, as by soldering the cars 19 to said pin, and a tension spring 22 is mounted on the pin 20 adjacent one end thereof and operates to urge the plate 17 forwardly, a

free end of the spring bearing against the rear face of the plate 17, and the opposite free end thereof bearing against a bottom plate 23 which spans the rear of the dispenser.

Formed in the tray 18 of the dispenser plate 17 intermediate the ends thereof is a toothpick receiving groove or channel 24 for receiving a single toothpick T when the dispenser plate 17 is pushed rearwardly and the groove 24 communicates with the opening P between the lower edge of the upper front wall 14 and the free edge 16 of the member 15. Since the tray 18 is curved in a manner to close this opening in any position of the dispenser plate 17, only one toothpick can be dispensed each time the empty groove is presented, and obviously no further dispensing function takes place until the toothpick is removed.

' I wish to direct particular attention to the configuration or shape of these groove sections 24, the central portion thereof being semi-circular in cross section to receive the central portion of a toothpick and the grooves thence tapering outwardly to their outer ends to receive the tapered ends of the toothpick, the central portion being slightly deeper than the central diameter of the toothpick. Thus, when the tray 18 is allowed to snap forwardly after receiving a toothpick, the central portion of the toothpick is engaged and depressed by the lower edge of the upper front wall 14, so that the toothpick is pressed into the groove and any possibility of its becoming displaced from the groove and jamming or of other toothpicks jamming at the point where the tray passes out of the chamber is eliminated.

The tray 18 of the plate 17 is bifurcated as at 25, and the grooves 24-24 are positioned a sufficient distance from the upper front wall 17 so that a toothpick in the grooves 24 can be readily grasped with the fingers and removed. Since the tray 18 is disposed below the shouldered portions of the side walls 11, the toothpick is prevented from slipping endwise out of the grooves. The extreme ends of the two forwardly projecting marginal legs of the tray 18 are turned up to form tabs 26 which facilitate the ready and convenient actuation of the plate 17, and the lower front wall 13 is recessed as at 24 to allow the tab portions 26 to extend forwardly thereof. Further, the two projecting portions of the tray 18 are shouldered, and upwardly bent stops 28 are formed thereon to normally engage the marginal portions of the recessed front wall 13 which extends above the tray 18 and maintain the dispensing plate 17 in predetermined position and to engage the lower portions of the upper front wall 14 when the plate limit the swing thereof, and

to prevent the groove 24 from passing beyond the free edge 16 of the wall 15.

17 is swung rearwardly to- A cover 29, having depending flanges 30, forms a closure for the chamber C and can be easily removed when it is necessary to re-stock the chamber C.

For the convenience of patrons operating the device, the horizontal shouldered portions of the side, walls are notched as at 31 to provide a gripping surface for the forefinger, which retains the device in position while the thumb is engaging a tab 26 to push the dispensing plate 17 to operate the dispenser.

The device is normally in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and no dust, dirt, insects or fiics can come in contact with the toothpick. To obtain a toothpick, it is merely necessary to place the thumb against one of the tabs 26, swinging the plate 16 inwardly to the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1. When these empty grooves reach the chamber C, a toothpick settles into the grooves 24-24 which are just large enough and of proper configuration to accommodate one toothpick, and when the member 17 is allowed to snap back, the toothpick rests on the upper tray portion from which it can be readily removed. The unique formation of the tray 18 insures that the dispensing plate 1'1 will never over-travel, and permits the easy actuation of the plate 17 and the ready grasping of toothpicks T.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that I have perfected a very simple, practical dispensing machine of neat and pleasing appearance, and which stores and dispenses toothpicks in a highly sanitary manner.

What I claim is:

1. In a toothpick dispenser, a casing comprising shouldered side walls, a rear wall, a lower front wall and an upper front wall spaced inwardly thereof, said lower front wall being formed with an opening therethrough open to the upper edge thereof defining upwardly projecting abutment portions at the sides thereof, a partition wall supported in said casing to form a toothpick storage chamber in the upper portion thereof, said wall terminating short of the upper front wall adjacent the lower edge thereof to define a passage leading from said storage chamber,

a dispensing plate pivotally mounted in said casing, said plate having a forwardly extending curved tray portion to close the passage between said partition wall and the lower edge of the upper front wall, said tray portion extending forwardly through said opening in the lower front wall beyond said lower front wall, said tray having a toothpick receiving groove to receive a single toothpick when said plate is pivoted rearwardly and said groove is brought into communication with said passage, said tray including the grooved portion being bifurcated, tabs formed on the free ends of the marginal portions of the said tray extending beyond said lower front wall, the side marginal edges of said tray being shouldered interjacent their ends, stops formed on said shouldered portions to normally engage the abutment portions of said lower front wall and prevent said dispensing plate from swinging forwardly of said passage from the storage chamber and to engage the lower edge of the upper front wall to limit the rearward swing of said dispensing plate and prevent said toothpick-aceommodating groove from being actuated rearwardly of said passage.

2. In a toothpick dispenser, a box-like casing comprising a rear wall, a lower front wall section centrally recessed at the upper edge thereof to form upwardly projecting abutment surfaces, an upper front wall section inwardly spaced from said lower front wall section, and shouldered side walls, a downwardly sloped, forwardly curved, partition wall depending from the rear wall of said casing to form with said upper front wall section and shouldered side walls, a toothpick storage chamber in the upper portion of said casing, said partition wall terminating short of the upper front wall section adjacent the lower edge thereof to provide a passage leading from said chamber, a pin rotatably received in the side walls of said casing in the lower forward portion thereof, a dispenser plate rigidly mounted on said pin, tension spring means on said pin for normally urging said plate forwardly, said plate having a curved tray portion extending forwardly through the recessed portion of said lower front wall section and beyond said lower front wall section and closing the passage between said upper front wall section and said upper partition wall, said tray having a toothpick-receiving groove to receive a single toothpick when said plate is pivoted rearwardly and said groove is brought into communication with said passage, the groove being less deep at the ends thereof than at the remaining portions thereof and deeper at the latter portions than required to accommodate the body of the tooth pick as supported by the ends, said tray including the grooved portion thereof being bifurcated, tabs formed on the free ends of the marginal portions of said tray extending beyond said lower front wall section, the side marginal edges of said tray being shouldered interjacent their ends, upturned stops formed on said shouldered portion to normally engage the abutment portions of said lower front wall section and prevent said dispenser plate from swinging forwardly of said passage and to engage the lower edge of the upper front wall section to limit the rearward swing of said dispenser plate to prevent said toothpick-accommodating groove from being actuated rearwardly of said passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,668 Clark May 21, 1895 655,746 Wannenwetsch Aug. 14, 1900 726,934 Jacobs May 3, 1903 1,042,690 Kotraba Oct. 29, 1912 1,141,781 Dickson June 1, 1915 1,279,259 Chevola Sept. 17, 1918 1,859,164 Polk May 17, 1932 1,910,209 Grunwald May 23, 1933 2,179,716 Eiler Nov. 14, 1939 2,188,304 Surdenik Jan. 30, 1940 2,310,933 Burger Feb. 16, 1943 

